What makes an Effective PE Teacher
Jul 23 · 4 min read
What does it mean to be an effective teacher? Does it mean to be child-friendly? Does it make a happy teacher?
On one hand, children need adults who can understand them, accept them and help them grow. On the other hand, most teachers prefer recognition for their efforts. The need for seeking recognition in some way limits the teachers’ ability to fulfil the needs of children.
Teaching, therefore, requires a conscious effort that not only fulfils the learning needs of children but also enables the teacher’s professional development.
So, what makes for an effective teacher? Is it ideally possible? Let’s dive into the past.
Day-28 of lockdown. Time: 10 am. Ajay Verma wakes up from a deep sleep. Thanks to the lockdown, Ajay has, at last, found some quality time for himself, to take care of all his needs, his health and family. He is enjoying his role as a father, which he was otherwise unable to do justice to due to his hectic work schedule. He is now able to play indoor games with his kids, help his wife in the kitchen, and share his life experiences with his family.
Ajay was a part-time physical education (PE) teacher in a private school. He used to serve the rest of the day in a government school. Having spent 5 years in the PE field, he aspired recognition for his services. Although he never interacted with his students, he always made sure they brought laurels in sports competitions.
During the lockdown, Ajay missed the way he used to discipline his students with a whistle. He missed his classroom and the typical drill marching sessions he used to conduct in school.
Now that he is compelled to stay at home, he has found enough time to recall and share his experiences with his wife and kids.
Mrs Verma is a keen listener and an educator herself. She admires how some students are fond of Ajay. They smiled at him and liked to speak to him even though he had to maintain a strict demeanour.
One evening, as Mrs Verma is serving tea, Ajay tells her how some of his students never engaged in sports or enjoyed PE classes. According to Ajay, that was the norm every year.
As he was talking on this subject, Ajay took his first sip of the tea and complained that the sugar was missing.
“Students miss sugar in your classes, too,” Mrs Verma replies.
Amused by this, Ajay smiles at her and reflects on what she was trying to convey. He starts thinking about why some students do not engage in PE and what could be missing in the classes. Ajay realises that there are several gaps in the current Physical Education system:
- The activities in the PE classes are not age-appropriate.
- There is no progressive connection between previous and new activities.
- The desired learning outcomes are not planned.
- The golden periods of children’s development are not utilized.
These could probably have been the missing links in PE. Teachers, coaches and practitioners often have a focus for the session that they deliver, which will have clear objectives and outcomes. Their sessions may be well planned, progressive and well-paced, with time allocated for reflection on progress.
However, in many cases, the teacher, coach or practitioner is not always aware of the participants’ previous experiences or their disposition towards that particular activity. They are not always aware of the learners’ physical, affective and cognitive capabilities within that activity and so the planned tasks, although being appropriate for some, may not be appropriate for all. The challenges provided may be too difficult for some and too easy for others. The pace may be too quick for some and too slow for others.
And eventually, Ajay also realises that ‘his connection as a teacher with his students was lacking.’
Then Ajay recalls what a student once told his class teacher.
“My parents don’t understand me. They want me to play badminton but I like chess. Does that mean I don’t like PE activities? How can I make my parents understand?”
These questions moved Ajay. He realises that all his yearly planning, training and efforts to bring laurels to the school were in vain if the students never get an opportunity to enjoy the basics.
He thought to himself, did he ever allow them to explore? Did he, as a teacher, give them the opportunity to understand their capabilities? Did he allow them to take part in physical activities of their interest? And the larger question that loomed over him was,
Did he first help them fall in love with physical education before they decided to drop-out?
Stay tuned for more posts on Physical Education Pedagogy.